Framingham: New stop signs eyed for Warren Road intersection

Jim Haddadin Daily News Staff @JimHaddadin

Tuesday

Dec 4, 2018 at 1:30 AM

FRAMINGHAM — New stop signs could be coming to a hazardous intersection on Warren Road, where police logged at least a dozen crashes, including one this summer that left a vanload of people with injuries.

A consultant hired by the Department of Public Works is finalizing recommendations to improve safety at the spot where Warren Road, Prindiville Avenue, Dennison Avenue and Shawmut Terrace meet.

Those measures will include adding stop signs to the north and south sides of the intersection, requiring drivers who zip along Warren Road and Dennison Avenue to hit the brakes when they reach the four-way crossing.

Stop signs are currently posted on the east and west sides. Converting the intersection to an all-way stop could reduce the number of crashes, and assuage fears expressed by neighbors, who have seen vehicles careen over the curb and cause property damage.

"I think that that's been an area of contention here,” Paul Barden, the deputy director of public works, said during a recent discussion with members of the Traffic Commission, referring to the desire for new stop signs. “I think that it's needed.”

The commission, which is awaiting a final report, will likely recommend installing new stop signs and some other safety measures, such as adding fluorescent pedestrian crossing signs.

Members also plan to ask the DPW to work with owners of private properties that abut the intersection to clear obstructions that make it hard for drivers to see around the corner.

The area has become busier in recent years as drivers have been detoured away from Union Avenue, which routinely closes for construction. It has also been the site of several serious crashes. Most recently, on July 15, a van collided with a sport utility vehicle on Warren Road, sending three adults and four children to hospitals with minor injuries. The van flipped onto its side and careened through a fence before coming to rest.

While neighbors have been rattled, consultant Elsa Chan said speeding doesn’t appear to be a safety concern. Chan, a traffic engineer with VHB, said the firm measured speeds on Dennison Avenue over a 24-hour period and found that most drivers traveled at 33 mph or lower.

Nevertheless, with 12 crashes in a matter of five years, the intersection merits attention, Chan said. Around 4,600 vehicles pass through the intersection each day, with 300 or 400 traveling north and south during peak hours, she said.

North of the intersection, along Warren Road, the speed limit is posted at 25 mph, but Dennison Avenue south of the intersection doesn't have a posted limit, making the speed limit 30 mph by default. The commission has authority to reduce the statutory speed limit down to 25 mph via a recommendation to the City Council.

The group plans to take up the matter again once recommendations from VHB are complete.

Jim Haddadin can be reached at 617-863-7144 or jhaddadin@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter: @JimHaddadin